Oaxaca Painting Redux

March 15, 2018

I’m still compelled to make paintings depicting life in Oaxaca, Mexico where I lived for close to ten years. This is a scene from the Panteón de Santa Cruz Xoxocotlan, Oaxaca, painted from a photo I took on October 31, 2015. I’m posting a few stages this piece went through as I worked on it.

I thought the background got too dark here…

This is (almost!) the final version:

Here’s the photo I worked from:

These women run a puesto (food stand) outside the cemetary during the festive all-night long Dia de Muertos celebration. We’re talking the world’s best tacos dorados (chicken or cheese), not to mention crazy delicious green tomatillo salsa! With my family and friends in tow, we discovered the transcendent and sublime in the small moments of life in Oaxaca, just sitting down and eating street food.

Oh, I should mention, this painting is really fun to produce! It’s kind of a happy mess.